Tamari is soy

Since I've just returned from a week long trip, I had nothing to take for lunch.

I went to Flower Child and ordered a plate I've had several times. I gave my allergy alert.

While I was waiting for my order, someone came to tell me the sweet potatoes have tamari in the glaze.

O_O

W. T. F.

That explains some things.

And this is why I would rather cook all my own food and eat at home. It sucks terribly to have to shop, prep, cook and clean up for all of my meals (you try it some time) but the alternative is...not desirable.

So they made some steamed sweet potatoes without the glaze. They were okay. I wouldn't pay this much money for them--they aren't at all special, just something I would make at home.

sub plain sweet potatoes

I'll have to try some other sides. Or stop eating there.

Weekend wrapup

My stepbrother got divorced and I was able to keep my SIL instead of him. I've always liked her so we're friends now. She had some stuff going on that we talked about last weekend when she came to our party. She asked if she could come spend the weekend which turned into just Friday night. We invited M for dinner too. 

The "grandparents" took Teka for the night so that she wouldn't have to deal with my SIL's dogs. I got this photo asking if she always sleeps with her toys--in her mouth. Um, no.

LOVES her new toy

I made proscuitto wrapped rosemary chicken with sweet potatoes and citrus green beans. It seemed that everyone enjoyed dinner. We hung out for while. M left and my SIL and I stayed up a couple more hours talking.

Dinner

In the morning, we got a late start but eventually took the dogs for a walk (it was too hot and she didn't understand how far "around the block" is in our neighborhood so I ended up carrying her little dog the last half.) She headed home and we headed out to our errands.

We got haircuts, went to Cabela's, stopped at Sprouts for some chips so we could go to Arriba's. At Arriba's, I found out that all the meat except the fish and shrimp are marinated in soy so I can't have the chicken which I KNOW I've had in the past. I had modified shrimp fajitas with corn tortillas, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsa.

Linner

I also enjoyed a skinny margarita.

Tasty beverage

We have a free HBO/Cinemax weekend so I'm doing a lot less than I should be but probably just as much as if we didn't have the freebies. I'm guessing.

Things

Insomnia. Last night was not as bad as the previous but grr. Waking up and not being able to go back to sleep is frustrating. A couple of nights ago, I woke up so AWAKE that I thought Mick had just come to bed (and I recently found out he turns the light on when he comes in since I had just dozed off when he did it--I'm sure that totally helps me sleep well through the night.) But he hadn't so I was just wide awake. At 3 am. Awesome. And by wide awake, I mean EXHAUSTED but wide awake. Please tell me this is going to stop.

Automobile. My car starting acting up more this week. It feels like it's idling too high, except it's a hybrid so it doesn't freaking idle at all. WTF. The gas mileage went down about 5 mpg. Oh, and it did that stalling-ish thing too that they say it isn't doing because it isn't in the log. Apparently my car has it's own black box. And it's a liar. Liar liar pants tires on fire.

Relatives. My relative who hit on me is pissed that I told my sister. Like anyone who has known me for more than a millisecond wouldn't know that was going to happen. I'm going to see my sister soon on the way to another city for a conference so I'm super excited and kind of using that as the light at the end of the tunnel, something to look forward to.

#cancersucks. I'm writing my emotions away, or at least trying to. I think I'm done crying but I can't guarantee it yet.

Friends. I keep making plans with people and having random cancellations. It goes against what I loved about the person who just died of cancer. Accept invitations, show up, have fun. If it's not fun, make it fun. Okay, I don't always accept invitations, but I can't think of the last time I cancelled on a friend. Maybe my spotty memory is playing tricks on me.

Yep, sounds about right. ;)

Thai Lhana

Today was Shel's memorial. I cried so much. She was such an amazing person and it really seems unfair when so many people are NOT amazing.

I met my friend B for dinner. I used to go to this Thai place near my office, but I haven't been there in years for some reason. I think I don't lunch with the people who used to go there and others don't go there anymore either.

Anyway, I am usually able to do curries at Thai places but this one uses cream instead of some of the coconut milk. Huh. That sucks.

The waitress had recently had someone with similar food allergies so she said there was one soup I could have and one chicken dish that comes with rice. I had the barbecue chicken and white rice. It was very good. It came with sweet chili sauce which some of it needed as parts were dry. But it was tasty. If I hadn't skipped lunch, this would be enough for 2 meals.

Chicken

Flash bandaid

My friend and coworker Shelly passed away last Friday from melanoma cancer. It's quite upsetting and I was a little shocked when I learned of her passing on FB Friday night. I thought I was handling it pretty well.

Then I went to work this morning. Um, nope. I'm barely holding it together today. I had to call my old client who became Shel's client and returned to being my client when Shel got sick. I had to tell her "in person" about Shel's passing before my company sends out notifications. Of course she cried. I cried. I can't stop fucking crying. I get it together for a while and then it hits me again. Her services are tomorrow so I'm going to be a damn wreck.

I had my drug trial monitoring with the neurologist, Dr. T. and the care coordinator L. It was pretty uneventful I guess. My vision sucks and is more terrible on the left. My reflexes are wonky, my balance sucks, I don't have full feeling in my left foot. But I move fine, I function well enough. Dr. T reminded me during part of the exam that I don't have to be a control freak, that doctors in clinical studies are the control freaks. Uh-huh.

Yes, I have some of the issues the doctor asks about but nothing that keeps me from functioning in my life. The memory lapses that come back later are...disconcerting but...I always pass the little tests the neurologists give me! Math, check. Spelling, check. Spelling backwards, check. What were the words I asked you to remember? Oh, never mind, Dr. T didn't do that one.

L started laughing when she got the bandaid for my blood draw. It had the character Flash on it. Sweet! I love Big Bang Theory. :)

#nerdalert

That was pretty close to the highlight of my day. I also chatted with M and talked with my sister so that helps some with my sadness. I'm so sad. I can't get stuck in this but I'm not fighting it until after tomorrow.

I'm going to be visiting my sister soon so I'm keeping my eye on that--the light at the end of the tunnel I guess.

...there are so many good days ahead, if you know where to look and if you remember all the wonderful people in your tribe, or community, or house. --thebloggess

Labor Day

After doing NOTHING yesterday, just hanging out with M and watching TV, I fell asleep on the couch a little after 9, then woke up around 3 and moved to bed,  then slept past 8 this morning. Our friend M does a lot of sleeping so he must be contagious!

I worked on cleaning up the kitchen. Mick's helpers had arrived early to help with yard projects. I have black eye peas and we have a random flower in the flower garden.

random white flower

Black eye peas

Although I did some housework, I decided to continue my rest and watched Zombieland and the Star Trek marathon.